Indigenous leaders condemn Trump’s move to rename Lake Ontario
The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontari:io, which means "the lake is beautiful, the lake is big."
Indigenous leaders and advocates have strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. The original name, Lake Ontario, derives from the Wendat word "Ontari:io," meaning "the lake is beautiful, the lake is big." Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized that Lake Ontario will be known as "Lake Ontario 'then, now and always,'" rejecting the attempt to erase the region's Indigenous history.
Wendat Nation Grand Chief Pierre Picard expressed shock and called the renaming an attempt to eradicate Wendat history and culture. He requested a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra to address the issue, which will be scheduled for next week. Picard hopes mapping companies will not comply with Trump's unilateral decision, and he has received assurances from Prime Minister Carney that Canada will not adopt the new name either.
The city council in Rochester, NY, the largest American city on Lake Ontario, unanimously condemned the move and declared Rochester will continue using the original name. Trump's action comes amid a series of controversial decisions, including renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Indigenous leaders argue the renaming is a racist tactic targeting Indigenous identity.
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